What do the Brewers have in Jesse Winker, Abraham Toro?

The Milwaukee Brewers made another trade Friday, sending Kolten Wong to Seattle. The Mariners had been well linked to Wong, making the trade of little surprise. That now makes Jesse Winker and Abraham Toro members of the Brewers, so let’s see what they could bring to the lineup in 2023. 

Jesse Winker
Winker is no stranger to Brewer fans, as he experienced his best years while playing with the Cincinnati Reds. 2022 was his first season elsewhere, and anyone who paid attention to the move saw Winker's struggles in Seattle.

Even in a down year where Winker slashed only .219/.344/.344, he added 14 home runs and still had a 108 wRC+. The hope is that Winker would see his numbers return to 2021 levels where he slashed .305/.394/.556 as he moves to the much friendlier hitting confines in Milwaukee. A season where his wRC+ was 147, and he boasted a 2.9 fWAR. 

There are other reasons to have hope for Winker's return to his previous hitting form beyond just the change of scenery. The lefty had a low BABIP of .251, which certainly should see an improvement. Seeing a return to his 2021 .324 BABIP or even his 2020 mark of .283 could quickly fix his slash line. This will be essential for the Brewers as Winker's bat will be relied upon to replace some of the offense lost with the trade of Hunter Renfroe and now Wong, and he should.  

Defensively, we hope to see limited time for Winker in the outfield. While patrolling primarily left field for the Mariners, Winker posted a -16 DRS. The designated hitter looks to be a much better fit for Winker, allowing Christian Yelich, Garrett Mitchell, and Tyrone Taylor to patrol the outfield. 

Winker could still play some outfield if needed and, with less room to cover, could see an uptick in his defensive results just as he will hopefully offensively. Even if Winker’s defense became passable, that isn’t why the Brewers are bringing him to Milwaukee. He is joining the Milwaukee Brewers to hit bombs. 

Abraham Toro
While it is pretty clear-cut what Winker will provide for the Brewers in 2023, Toro comes with many more questions and intrigue. Toro worked his way up the Houston Astros prospect list landing at three on the MLB.com list in 2020. Now after playing in parts of three major league seasons, Toro hasn’t reached his prospect potential and will try to find that now with the Brewers. 

Last season with Seattle, Toro hit a not-so-impressive .185/.239/.324 and was able to add ten home runs in 109 games. Throughout his MLB career, he has slashed a slightly better .208/.276/.345 and has been able to add more power over the past two seasons. It looks like there is room for more growth with Toro and his bat, as he hasn’t even reached 1,000 plate appearances in his major league career. 

Toro could also get a significant boost from the new MLB shift rules that go into effect for the 2023 season. 

If that adjustment carries into the season with the new shift rules, it is just one more way that the Brewers can hopefully find success in this trade with Toro’s upside. While the switch hitter has struggled in the majors, his Triple-A numbers are outstanding. He has hit .343/.451/.545 over his career and, at 25, still has time to see that translate to the big leagues. 

Defensively Toro has seen the bulk of his time at second and third base. While it looks like easy math to plug the new second baseman into the old second baseman’s spot, that isn’t what the Brewers will have to do. Toro still has an option remaining and could start the season in the minors to continue and refine his bat. This means the trade has opened up a clear path for highly regarded prospect Brice Turang to take over second base. 

In this trade, the Brewers got immediate help from Winker, who should be able to bounce back nicely in Milwaukee. They also acquire Toro, who gives them long-term upside as he is under team control through 2026 and should figure into the second and third base mix for several seasons. 

What do you think about the players acquired? Do these two players improve the roster in a way that moves the Brewers toward playoff contention? Would they have been better off trying to offload money instead of making this move which didn’t save the club any on the payroll? Let us know in the comments!